Berlin | German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas on Tuesday called on Turkey to “end the cycle of detente and provocation” in the eastern Mediterranean where Ankara has just sent an exploration vessel to search for natural gas, at the risk of reviving a crisis with Greece.
“If there were indeed to be further explorations for Turkish gas in the most controversial maritime areas of the eastern Mediterranean, it would be a major setback for de-escalation efforts,” the foreign minister added in a statement. makes Tuesday in Greece and Cyprus to discuss these tensions in particular.
“Ankara must end the cycle of detente and provocation if the government is interested in talks – as it has repeatedly assured,” said the minister whose country currently holds the rotating presidency of the Union european
Berlin still asks Turkey “that the window of dialogue which has just opened with Greece not be closed again because of unilateral measures”.
Turkey announced Monday that it was sending back to sea the ship Oruç Reis, which is to be deployed in particular off the Greek islands to search for natural gas, which had triggered serious diplomatic and military tensions in August and September.
These tensions will be on the menu of the European summit organized Thursday and Friday in Brussels.